Murray State University Athletics
Cook earns OVC Offensive honor
10/10/2005 5:00:00 AM | Football
Cook, a 6-1, 230-pound junior from New Orleans, La., scored one touchdown on 21 carries, averaging 10.1 yards per tote. Cook also had two runs of 50-plus yards, including a career-high 64-yard touchdown scamper. Cook's 213 yards marks the second-best single-game effort in the OVC this season. Cook's day also helped him move into third place in the OVC in rushing, with 81.6 yards per game.
The total of 213 yards also placed Cook eighth on the all-time single-game rushing performance list at Murray State. Cook's 213-yard performance was the first 200-plus-yard performance since Ron Lane ran for 201 yards against Tennessee-Martin on Nov. 13, 2003. Cook's day was even more impressive, considering Jacksonville State had come into today's game having held 13 of their 18 Ohio Valley Conference opponents under 100 yards rushing as a team. Cook's performance marked the first time since Oct. 19, 2002, that the Jacksonville State defensive unit had allowed a 200-yard rusher.
"Tank showed some great speed Saturday," Racer head coach Joe Pannunzio said today at his weekly press conference. "He's a tremendous kid. He comes from a good family. He's a leader on our team."
Cook, who entered Saturday with just 195 yards rushing on the season, is also moving up on the career touchdowns list. He now has 19 career touchdowns, which ranks him 11th all-time, and his next career touchdown will place him in a four-way tie for eighth place with Derrick Cullors (1995), Russ Hake (1967-69) and Carl Walker (1953-55).
The Racers will return to action on Oct. 15, when they travel to Samford. Coincidentally, Cook has 213 career rushing yards against Samford, including his 34 attempts for a then-career-high 187 yards last season in a 24-21 Racer victory.
